Sound The Bugle
by Captain MadHat
Summary: House and Cuddy during teh infraction and after it. HouseCuddyWilson friendship.


Disclaimer: I own house and I am a snowball in hell.

9 YEARS AGO

She stared at him, he was in so much pain and no one could figure out why. He wasn't coherent, he was practically screaming with pain. Stacy was here demanding to know how he got this way.

She sighed and thought back to that moment, the moment he collapsed clutching his thigh. He had been under Princeton employ for nearly seven years, she had been his superior for two of those years but they went way back. He was simply her friend. When he collapsed in front of her and Wilson she nearly fainted herself. He was never sick, he was fit. Why was he screaming?

Wilson was fairly new too; he had been there three years. House and he had hit it off right away surprisingly. House was an arrogant pain in the ass and Wilson was the complete opposite. They always said opposites attract.

House had spent six years at PPTH being a consult and working officially in emergency but he normally just hacked the system, picked out the interesting cases and cured the patients. Her predecessor had let him, because he saved so many lives then he had retired and she had decided to set him up in his own department. He hired one fellow to begin with eventually he would get more. He hired an intensivist. Then he went down in a screaming heap literally.

She was Dr. Lisa Cuddy, House's sparring partner and friend.

He had been running late literally running late he came sprinting into the hospital in his running gear and plonked himself down in the boardroom and together they put forward their proposal and hour later PPTH had approval by the board to make a diagnostic department.

They were all heading out for a celebratory lunch when House had collapsed. They had just been down to House's current office so he could pick up his messages and dump his stuff. He hadn't bothered to get changed. He looked good in shorts. They had just left the elevator on the ground floor and he had said his thigh hurt then he started to yell. Fifteen minutes later he was in the hospital he terrorised as one of his most hated things; a patient.

She sighed and rubbed her forehead. Wilson was telling Stacy what had happened, she was shocked and pale. Cuddy had no sympathy for her; Stacy wasn't her most favourite person in the world.

THREE DAYS LATER

House was in surgery and Cuddy was wracked by guilt, he didn't want this but Stacy had the proxy. Despite Cuddy the fact that Cuddy had suggested it she knew House didn't want it. Cuddy had been obligated to tell Stacy what she had told her. House would never forgive Stacy. Cuddy knew that, he probably wouldn't forgive her.

THREE MONTHS LATER

Cuddy and Wilson were watching over a drunken House, Stacy had left without as much as a note. House had nearly died for a second time this time by going on a massive bender. Cuddy and Wilson nursed him back to health. Stacy was not worth dying for in their eyes.

SIX MONTHS LATER

House walked of sorts into the hospital again, this time in his rightful place, as a doctor. Cuddy approached him and together they rode up the lift to the floor where the Diagnostic Department was being added. House nodded at the progress. He and his new fellow would move in two weeks later.

SEVEN YEARS LATER

House's intensivist moved on and his immunologist and neurologist gave their notice, they had lasted three months longer than the ones before them. He just bitched about it for a while before sighing and writing out a new opening of applications, Dr. Chase, called two days later and offered his son; House accepted; Robert Chase had excellent credentials. Cuddy watched all this with a heavy heart, House had withdrawn completely; his only human contact was Wilson. He and Cuddy still sparred but less frequently there was a sort of a void between them, which they both tried to ignore.

SIX MONTHS LATER

House hired Allison Cameron, Cuddy and Wilson watched this in amusement, he would maintain later that he only hired her for her looks but realistically he was giving someone who had been second best all her life a chance to thrive and excel.

SIX MONTHS LATER

House hired Eric Foreman, his case acceptance had dropped increasingly he no longer gave consults; he had given up completely. Chase and Cameron were bored. Wilson and Cuddy both decided it was time to act. House had grieved and withdrawn enough, now he was going to live.

Sound the bugle now - play it just for me

As the seasons change - remember how I used to be

Now I can't go on - I can't even start

I've got nothing left - just an empty heart

I'm a soldier - wounded so I must give up the fight

There's nothing more for me - lead me away...

Or leave me lying here

Sound the bugle now - tell them I don't care

There's not a road I know - that leads to anywhere

Without a light feat that I will - stumble in the dark

Lay right down - decide not to go on

Then from on hight - somewhere in the distance

There's a voice that calls - remember who your are

If you lose yourself - your courage soon will follow

So be strong tonight - remember who you are

Ya you're a soldier now - fighting in a battle

To be free once more -Ya that's worth fighting for

A/N This song is from Spirit Stallion of the Cimarron, I thought it was such a beautiful song and suited House perfectly. Oh and I couldn't remember Chase's dad's name sorry. I hoped you enjoyed this! Please review.


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